


Rebound Daughter

by tornyourdress



Category: Desperate Housewives
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-12-24
Updated: 2009-12-24
Packaged: 2017-10-05 03:56:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 521
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/37556
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tornyourdress/pseuds/tornyourdress
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Julie and Dylan are home for the holidays, and Dylan's still getting used to the revelations about her identity.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Rebound Daughter

**Author's Note:**

  * For [spidertroll](https://archiveofourown.org/users/spidertroll/gifts).



It takes her a while to get used to being Dylan but not-Dylan, for her mom to be her mom and yet not. It explains a lot, but it also hurts. She's the replacement, the rebound daughter, almost, the kid who was only picked because of what happened to the first Dylan.

"Come on," Julie says. They're home for Christmas, catching up after their first semester of college, and Dylan's perched on the end of Julie's bed. "Your mom loves you. Look at what she did for you. As far as she's concerned, you're her real daughter."

"Right, but . . ." Dylan trails off, trying to put her thoughts into words. "But that's kind of crazy, isn't it? I mean, it's like she actually believes I'm that first Dylan."

Julie shrugs. "Moms are kind of meant to be crazy. If they're not, they're doing something wrong."

Dylan has to grin at this pragmatism. "Do you remember her well? The first Dylan?"

Julie looks away. "We were kids." That's it.

Dylan is silent. It hasn't occurred to her until now that Julie, like her mom, lost that first Dylan. That she's grieving.

She wants to ask if she's an acceptable substitute, but the words stick in her throat.

"I should go," Dylan says.

Julie takes a deep breath. "No, don't. I'm sorry. It's just weird, you know? I knew this girl, and she's _dead_, and it's horrible, but when you came back – even though I knew you weren't her, I really wanted to believe you were. I wanted a best friend. And you _are_, except –"

"Except the only reason I am is because of her," Dylan finishes.

"I didn't say that." Julie moves closer, rubbing a hand over Dylan's. "Look. You're not her. I know that. And I like you anyway. Okay?"

Dylan nods, not trusting herself to speak.

"Except," Julie says.

"Except what?" Dylan waits, afraid that it's going to be something, some clause in their friendship, that makes things very much not okay again.

Julie gets off the bed, paces around the room. "This is probably going to sound really stupid. I mean, I don't _do_ this, I don't get stupid crushes on people that are so _obviously_ going to mess things up, I don't get why people do that, but I have. In this case."

Dylan stares at her. "Okay, I'm going to need that in English."

Julie pauses in front of her, leans over, and kisses her.

It feels like a long time since anyone's kissed her. Especially like this, gently, carefully, so softly it nearly makes her want to cry. Because no one kisses like that to get into someone's pants, or because they're drunk, or on a bet, and those kinds of kisses have formed a major part of Dylan's kissing history. This is the way someone kisses you when they love you. When they care about you.

Real-you. Not the rebound daughter. Just you. Dylan Mayfair.

Dylan kisses her back. She wonders if the first Dylan would have done this, and then puts that firmly out of her mind as Julie's hand slides up underneath her shirt.


End file.
